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Zune HD will have EQ! - Page 3

post #31 of 164
8/6/09 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by swanlee View Post
Finally MS came back to their senses, I have stuck with my Zune30 since 2006 because of this. Now if they would only have a ZuneHD model with 64+ GB of storage.
Soon my friend. soon.
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post #32 of 164
8/6/09 at 2:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by swanlee View Post
I have personal experience listening to the newer zunes without an EQ and my old zune30. Using the same wma losselss files same headphones the newer Zunes sound exactly the same as the Zune30 when the EQ is turned off on the zune30.

With the EQ on I much prefer the sound fo the Zune30
so if the zune HD have the same sound as the zune30 are you willing to buy it??i think most zune owners wont upgrade if the SQ is the same as the last two generations unless they need the space for HD movies..
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post #33 of 164
8/6/09 at 2:05pm
I have a Zune (120), and honestly, I don't see the big fuss about EQs. I always leave my sources flat, and let the headphones do what the creators wanted them to do. That does look super slick though.
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post #34 of 164
8/6/09 at 2:30pm
If microsoft wanted to, they could add eq functionality to all the 2nd gen zunes tomorrow.

They just don't feel like it.
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post #35 of 164
8/6/09 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by midoo1990 View Post
so if the zune HD have the same sound as the zune30 are you willing to buy it??i think most zune owners wont upgrade if the SQ is the same as the last two generations unless they need the space for HD movies..
Yeah I'm willing to buy it, I'm still using my Zune30 because I like the sound quality so much. I spent money to upgrade the hard drive to 100GB instead of buying a zune 120 that did not have the EQ.

Even if the ZuneHD has the exact same sound quality as the zune30 I will upgrade because at the very least the sound quality will not be a downgrade for me since I find the acoustic EQ preset perfect for my musical tastes.

Now the only reason I won't upgrade has to do with storage capacity. I need more than 64 GB on my device.

But I will be getting the ZuneHd for my wife and see what the capacity options are or maybe even look into upgrading the flash storage if possible.

I can work around the capacity issue I can't work around the lack of EQ and down grade in sound quality which the Zune80 and Zune120 were to me.
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post #36 of 164
8/6/09 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by midoo1990 View Post
i think most zune owners wont upgrade if the SQ is the same as the last two generations unless they need the space for HD movies..
Not all Zune owners are audiophiles (I'd say the majority aren't) and they probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between sources, much less 128 MP3 and WMA lossless. If they've got a 30 GB and watch alot of videos, they might have a good reason to upgrade to the 32 GB Zune HD. But I would doubt many people would trade in their 80 or 120 for a 32 GB HD.

Quote:
If microsoft wanted to, they could add eq functionality to all the 2nd gen zunes tomorrow.

They just don't feel like it.
Supposedly, MS had a software EQ developed, but it took up too much battery life. Not sure if it's true, just what I've read that seems it could be true. Heck, they could finally fix gapless playback tomorrow, but they just don't feel like it...

Quote:
I have a Zune (120), and honestly, I don't see the big fuss about EQs. I always leave my sources flat, and let the headphones do what the creators wanted them to do.
I don't use EQ either, but it would still be nice to have. A slight bass boost that actually sounds good would come in handy.

The Zune HD looks really cool, but I don't watch videos on the go (short attention span), so I don't really need it. The web browser and HD radio are interesting features, so I may look into it later on. I'd really like to see what sort of gaming capabilities it has. If it can play Doom, I might actually buy one.
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post #37 of 164
8/6/09 at 7:30pm
Microsoft cant just release software update for the zune80/120 to have an EQ because the hardware doesnt supprt it.The zune80/120 dont have the chip or the DAC that have an equalizer in it,in other words EQ is impossible for zune 80/120.cnet also mentioned that there is no EQ personal customization on the zune HD which is also dissapointing because IMO thr EQ options(Acoustic,classic,bass boost....)only distort the sound and doesnt improve it.only customized EQ would be good.
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post #38 of 164
8/6/09 at 8:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by midoo1990 View Post
Microsoft cant just release software update for the zune80/120 to have an EQ because the hardware doesnt supprt it.The zune80/120 dont have the chip or the DAC that have an equalizer in it,in other words EQ is impossible for zune 80/120.cnet also mentioned that there is no EQ personal customization on the zune HD which is also dissapointing because IMO thr EQ options(Acoustic,classic,bass boost....)only distort the sound and doesnt improve it.only customized EQ would be good.
I'm just happy I have the same options I have now on my Zune30.
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post #39 of 164
8/6/09 at 8:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by midoo1990 View Post
Microsoft cant just release software update for the zune80/120 to have an EQ because the hardware doesnt supprt it.The zune80/120 dont have the chip or the DAC that have an equalizer in it,in other words EQ is impossible for zune 80/120.cnet also mentioned that there is no EQ personal customization on the zune HD which is also dissapointing because IMO thr EQ options(Acoustic,classic,bass boost....)only distort the sound and doesnt improve it.only customized EQ would be good.
Rockbox has software EQ on almost every DAP it runs on. All except the archos boxes that decode mp3 in hardware, iirc.

Most DAPs that have more than a simple bass/treble EQ are using software to implement it. Hardware support for multi-band EQ in the codec is actually fairly uncommon.
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post #40 of 164
8/6/09 at 9:17pm
lol...Samsung players have had EQ for ages...(my Z5 bought in 06', my P3 in 09')...
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post #41 of 164
8/6/09 at 11:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by midoo1990 View Post
Microsoft cant just release software update for the zune80/120 to have an EQ because the hardware doesnt supprt it.The zune80/120 dont have the chip or the DAC that have an equalizer in it,in other words EQ is impossible for zune 80/120.cnet also mentioned that there is no EQ personal customization on the zune HD which is also dissapointing because IMO thr EQ options(Acoustic,classic,bass boost....)only distort the sound and doesnt improve it.only customized EQ would be good.
Considering i have a zune 30 ... i personally have not heard ANY of the distortion you are talking about and i have gone through a wide array of IEMS before settling in on Triple fi 10 pros. If you own a zune 30 and have distortion check your source file or check to see if the source was recorded badly as most modern music is nowadays.
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post #42 of 164
8/7/09 at 12:06am
I never use EQ so, I will still probably get this.
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post #43 of 164
8/7/09 at 12:32am
I should clarify:

1: Most DAP firmwares manage to implement software EQ in a manner that does not have a large impact on battery life. You'd think Microsoft could figure it out too.

2: How the heck hard would it have been to have an EQ that is really off when set to "off", and maybe a warning in the manual that using EQ can slightly shorten battery lif?
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post #44 of 164
8/7/09 at 2:23am
.
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post #45 of 164
8/7/09 at 3:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Eleutherian View Post
So I'm a brand new user, been lurking for a while but never posted before...

I just recently used this site to research portable headphone amps (just order myself a predator), and I have been toying with the idea of starting a thread to get some recommendations on some high quality IEMs or cans...

I'm honestly not sure it's a good idea making this public given the timing and all, but the thread caught my eye...

I'm actually a member of the Zune team. More specifically the test group. Yet more specifically the guy in charge of testing audio playback and codecs, among other things.

Looking back over this thread I have a feeling I'm just opening myself up for a good ribbing, and I probably won't be able to answer most of your questions before you can get the official word yourself... but I decided to do so just for the hell of it. Officially required sig applied and all...

So.... hi.
Wow .. welcome to Head fi. Your wallet WONT thank you for it though

I think you joned after the whole EQ firestorm has been somewhat calmed, so i personally wont be giving you too much of a hard time. It would be nice to know though if we should expect any changes to the sound signature of the new zunes and why a user customizable EQ wasnt available this generation. Considering you may be under NDA if you cant answer no worries

Im just glad i can move on from my zune 30 in a month or so without having to cancel my subscription and all that jazz.

Cheers

Maxis
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